Local search engine optimisation (SEO) has become increasingly important as businesses strive to improve their online presence. This allows businesses to target local customers and boost their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant queries. This article will provide a checklist to help businesses improve local SEO in 2023.
The first step in improving local SEO is to claim and optimise your Google My Business (GMB) listing. This provides important information about your business, such as your address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and reviews.
By verifying and optimising it, you can increase your visibility in local search results and improve your chances of appearing in the Google Local Pack.
To optimise your GMB listing, ensure your business information is accurate and up-to-date. Add high-quality photos and videos, respond to customer reviews, and encourage customers to leave reviews. Additionally, use relevant keywords in your GMB listing to help Google understand the nature of your business.
These are mentions of your business on other websites, such as directories, review sites, and social media platforms. Building local citations can help improve your local SEO by increasing the visibility and credibility of your business.
To build local citations, ensure your business information is consistent across all platforms. This includes your business name, address, phone number, and website.
Additionally, seek out relevant directories and review sites in your industry and create listings on these sites. Encourage customers to leave reviews on these sites to enhance your online reputation and increase your chances of appearing in local search results.
Using local keywords in your website content can help improve your local SEO by making it easier for customers to find your business in local search results. Local keywords include phrases that include the name of your city, town, or region.
To use local keywords, incorporate them naturally into your website content, including page titles, headings, and meta descriptions. Additionally, create location-specific landing pages on your website that target local keywords and provide relevant information about your business in that location.
With increasing numbers of customers using mobile devices to search for local businesses, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial for improving local SEO. A mobile-friendly website is designed to be easily navigable on small screens and loads quickly on mobile devices.
To guarantee that your website is mobile-friendly, use responsive design that automatically adjusts the website’s layout on the size of the screen it’s being viewed on. Additionally, enhance your images and videos to reduce load times on mobile devices.
Schema markup is structured data that provides additional information about your business to search engines. This information can include your business name, address, phone number, and other relevant details.
Using it may improve your local SEO by making it easier for search engines to comprehend the nature of your business and display relevant information in search results.
To do so, implement the appropriate schema markup code on your website. This can be done manually, using a plugin, or by hiring a professional to do it for you.
Improving local SEO can help businesses target local customers and increase their visibility in local search results. Following this helpful checklist, businesses can claim and optimise their Google My Business listing, build local citations, use local keywords, ensure their website is mobile-friendly, and use schema markup. By doing so, businesses can improve their local SEO and increase their chances of appearing in local search results, leading to increased traffic, leads, and revenue.
Based in Brisbane, Hurricane Digital is a modern local business marketing agency that aims to boost your leads through razor-sharp local SEO. Our approach is tailored to local businesses, eliminating unnecessary expenses and fluff from digital services. This makes us the most efficient and cost-effective service in the industry. We cater to clients Australia-wide. Call us at (07) 3132-8715 to know more in your free strategy session!
